Forget Me Not: Memory of 1961 Corvette Lingers Two Decades Later

Longtime Corvette fan may have recently left the driver’s seat, but her passion keeps her as youthful as ever.

If there’s one thing that would break the heart of any Corvette owner, it’s parting with that one special ‘Vette that truly stole your heart; the one that got away. No matter how many other cars you buy, it’ll never replace the one which made the most impact on your life, whether it was a special car in its own right, or just the memories made with it.

One of those heartbroken souls is Mary Shumpert of Pawleys Island, South Carolina. Recently, we came across the story of Shumpert and her 1961 Corvette. She fondly recalls her 1961 Corvette, similar to the like the ones pictured here.

“I wish I had it right now,” Shumpert told her local paper, the Coastal Observer .

The 105-year-old last drove her ’61 Corvette 21 years ago, which was only the second ‘Vette her family owned, per the Coastal Observer. Her late husband, Sonny Shumpert, bought a 1960 Corvette with a manual, only to trade it in for the following year’s car.

“Anybody could drive the car all they wanted to as long as he was in the passenger seat,” Shumpert’s daughter Suzanne Harris said. “It wasn’t going anywhere without him.”

The Corvette called Columbia, South Carolina for a good part of its life, where the Shumperts owned a restaurant during their working years. Upon retiring, the ‘Vette lived in Sumpter, then in the Heritage Plantation development in Pawleys Island before, in 1998, it was sold to another owner.

On Shumpert’s 100th birthday, Harris gave her a Mercedes convertible, one with a back seat for Harris’ grandchildren. As we all can guess, it’s just not the same.

“It really didn’t take the place,” Harris said.

Two decades later, Shumpert still has her memories of the Corvette, carrying photos of it everywhere she goes. She’s a true blue die-hard fan of America’s sports car, too, having visited the National Corvette Museum more than a few times, and owning a beaded Corvette shirt.

For her 105th birthday, Shumpert visited Coastal Chevrolet Cadillac Nissan in Pawleys Island, checking out the last of the C7-era convertibles before celebrating her long life with friends and family. May she get a ride in a C8 convertible soon.

Photos: Super Chevy